Mr. SISK. Thank you, Mr. Cannon. Mr. SISK. You may remain seated there with him if you desire. Mr. SISK. You may proceed, Mr. Burroughs. The committee will be happy to hear your comments. STATEMENT OF C. HUGH BURROUGHS, PRESIDENT, WESTERN MARKET MERCHANTS & FARMERS ASSOCIATION Mr. BURROUGHS. I am C. Hugh Burroughs, president of the association. I checked some of the other markets. There is a small market called Arcade Market in Washington that is independently operated. I checked the rentals there, compared them with the rentals that we pay now, and it is a very little bit more than what we pay; and this is an independent market that is self-supporting. Also, I checked at the O Street Market, which is independent; I found the same situation there. I checked the Lexington Market in Baltimore. The city of Baltimore floated a bond to remodel that market, and it is wonderful. They pay about the same rent that we pay now, with an additional charge for their parking. The Eastern Market here, which is owned by the District, is rented to one dealer, and he in turn rents to the other dealers, and their rent runs just a very little bit more than ours. They have heat in there, which we don't have, and most of these other markets also have heat. I don't think there would be any question of whether the market would be self-supporting, because these others, the independent ones and the city-owned ones, seem to be. Mr. SISK. In other words, they seem to be paying their way. Mr. BURROUGHS. They are paying their way. The independent ones I know would have to be paying their way. Otherwise they wouldn't be able to continue to operate. Mr. SISK. What do you anticipate the rate would be now in dollars and cents? Are you charged so much per square foot as to space used? Mr. BURROUGHS. No; we are not charged per square foot. We are charged per stand. Mr. SISK. Per stand? Well, I suppose there is some determination as to the allowable space for each stand. Mr. BURROUGHS. One stand is 16 by 8. Mr. SISK. Sixteen by eight? Mr. BURROUGHS. Sixteen by eight, and the base Mr. SISK. What is the rate? Mr. BURROUGHS. The base rate per stand is $45 in our market now. Mr. SISK. Per stand per month? Mr. BURROUGHS. Yes; per month. And then we also have a refrigeration charge. We have central refrigeration, and we have to pay our electricity. In the Lexington market in Baltimore, the same size stand rents for $50 a month, and, of course, they have the other charges to pay, too. In our Eastern Market, the stands over there are equivalent to about three of our stands. They rent at $125 a month. In the Arcade Mar 58-902-66 4 ket they include electricity and water, and a stand twice the size of ours rents for $162. Mr. SISK. $162? Mr. BURROUGHS. $162. That includes electricity and water. We pay our electricity separate. Mr. SISK. Thank you, Mr. Burroughs. Is there anything further you would like to add? Mr. BURROUGHS. No. Mr. SISK. Mr. Nelsen? Mr. NELSON. I have one question. If the Western Market has been so well patronized, on what basis do the Commissioners proceed to demolish it? Don't they recognize the need for a market like that? Mr. BURROUGHS. Evidently they didn't. They said that it was operating at a loss. But I have been in there for 19 years, and for about the last 11 to 12 years anybody that tried to rent space in there was discouraged from doing so. They were told not to invest their money, that it wasn't going to be there very long. The District could have derived a whole lot more revenue from it than they actually did, had they rented it. There were a few empty stands there. Mr. NELSON. It is encouraging to find the Commissioners so cost conscious. Thank you. Mr. SISK. Thank you, Mr. Burroughs. The committee appreciates your statement. Mr. BURROUGHS. Thank you. Mr. SISK. Mr. Cannon, we have listed next Mr. Dewey Godfrey. Do you wish him to be called? Mr. PERRY CANNON. Yes, Mr. Godfrey, if I may say, may he be called next to say a few words. I would like for him to come forward if he may. STATEMENT OF DEWEY GODFREY, VICE PRESIDENT FOR THE FARMERS OF THE WESTERN MARKET MERCHANTS & FARMERS ASSOCIATION Mr. GODFREY. Mr. Chairman, first I want to state I appreciate your great attitude and your friendship, for allowing us to come here today to discuss these matters. I am very grateful to you. I would like to make a speech, but I am unable to do so. I came from a family of 16. It wasn't very prosperous in those days, and I didn't have the opportunity to get an education, but thank the good Lord I can read and write. I was born and reared on a farm all my life, or practically so. This market is the only outlet that we have for our produce, and I would appreciate it very much if some arrangements can be made for us to have a market in the future somewhere in the area. I don't have too much more to say. I think that is about all. Mr. SISK. Mr. Godfrey, you are a farmer, are you? I mean do you farm? Mr. GODFREY. A small farm: yes. Mr. SISK. Do you live in Virginia or Maryland? Mr. GODFREY. In Oaksville, Va. Mr. SISK. And you are at present selling in the Western Market, or you have a stand in the Western Market? Mr. GODFREY. Yes, sir. Mr. SISK. Do you find it reasonably successful? Mr. GODFREY. Yes, sir. I may add this. Our customers are really interested in our having a market. No longer ago than Saturday past one lady said, "Wherever the market is, I intend to follow you," and just numbers and numbers of them say that. Some of them almost break down and cry, because they know we have got to leave. Mr. SISK. Thank you, Mr. Godfrey. I appreciate your statement very much. Mr. Nelsen? Mr. NELSEN. No comments other than to state to Mr. Godfrey that I too am a farmer, and I can also appreciate the fact that you do have to have a market. In some areas of our country today the dairy farmer no longer has even a creamery to market his milk, because there has been a shift of facilities. It would seem to me that some of the smaller producers would have a difficult time finding a market, if a facility of this kind were not in existence somewhere. I thank the gentleman for his statement. Mr. SISK. The gentleman from Virginia. Mr. BROYHILL. No questions. Mr. SISK. Mr. Godfrey, let me say that in spite of your comment about your education, I think you have expressed yourself very well. So I may say you have nothing to be ashamed of as far as your educa tion is concerned. Mr. GODFREY. Thank you very much. I am grateful to be here. Mr. SISK. I come from an area that has lots of farmers, and some express their wills and some do not, but they all do a good job in farming, I think, out in California. I believe we have next Mr. Joseph L. Cannon. Mr. PERRY CANNON. Yes. And may I add, Mr. Chairman, that Mr. Godfrey is the vice president of the Association of Farmers. You see, there are the farmers and the merchants, and Mr. Joe Cannon here is the vice president for the merchants of the association. Mr. Sisk. Fine. We will be glad to hear from you, Mr. Cannon. STATEMENT OF JOSEPH L. CANNON, VICE PRESIDENT FOR THE MERCHANTS OF THE WESTERN MARKET MERCHANTS & FARMERS ASSOCIATION Mr. JOSEPH CANNON. I have been in business for about 30 years, close to 30 years. I have been on the waterfront since 1937, and of course we were told down there in 1959 to leave. Fortunately I had this stand in the Western Market, and that is where we ended up at, at the Western Market. We had tried to go back to the waterfront, but we have never been able to get any satisfaction out of it, and at the time we are supposed to move again, and it is really a difficult thing to find a place. We specialize in fresh seafood, salmon, halibut, swordfish. Most of the markets, the fish places, most of them do carry the frozen food, but when we can get it we get everything fresh, and we have a good business. Georgetown is one of our main sources, and the people who come in there, they want to know where we will be located. They want to follow us. They think that in Washington, Georgetown is the ideal place. So we would appreciate anything the committee can do for us. Mr. SISK. Thank you, Mr. Cannon. And you would propose to move to this new location if it was made available. Mr. JOSEPH CANNON. Yes, sir. Mr. SISK. Any questions, Mr. Nelsen? Mr. Broyhill? Mr. JOSEPH CANNON. Thank you. Mr. SISK. We have Mr. Paul Muir listed next. STATEMENT OF PAUL L. MUIR, SECRETARY, WESTERN MARKET MERCHANTS & FARMERS ASSOCIATION Mr. MUIR. I want to thank you gentlemen for letting me be present to tell you my little story. My name is Paul Muir, in the Western Market. I am one of the old people in the Western Market. I started there as a shoo-fly boy when I was 9 years old, and I have been there ever since, with the exception of 6 years when I had to give up on account of my health. There never was a day in that time that my phone at home didn't ring, with my many customers and faithful friends calling me up wanting me to come back in business. That opportunity came in 1950 and I went back, and I am happy to say that all my customers of many years, from the time I started in business, flocked right back to me. I am doing a wonderful business, thank God for that, and I hope you gentlemen will take into consideration our many needs and your many needs to give to us an opportunity to go to Georgetown. I thank you. Mr. SISK. Mr. Muir, the committee appreciates your statement. Let me ask you one question. I believe you are the secretary of this association. Mr. MUIR. Yes, sir. Mr. SISK. Have you polled your members as to their desires, and if so, are they Mr. MUIR. One hundred percent. Mr. SISK. Are they unanimous or what percent want to move? Mr. SISK. One hundred percent? Mr. MUIR. Yes, sir. Mr. SISK. Of your members. Mr. MUIR. Yes, sir. Mr. SISK. Desire to make this move? Mr. MUIR. That is right. Mr. SISK. To relocate. Mr. MUIR. That is right. Mr. SISK. Any questions? Mr. BROYHILL. I have a question. Mr. SISK. The gentleman from Virginia. Mr. BROYHILL. Mr. Muir, you say you went back to work in 1950? Mr. MUIR. Yes. I had to leave in 1941. Many years ago, I don't know whether you gentlemen are all familiar with this, but they used to bond children out there. In the sense I wasn't exactly bonded, but my mother turned me over to a family that was in the market business since 1848. Mr. BROYHILL. What I was trying to get at, what was your type of business? Mr. MUIR. Dairy products and cheese. I specialize in cheese. Mr. BROYHILL. And you bought from the farmers and then sold your merchandise? Mr. MUIR. I don't buy directly from the farmer, no, but years ago we did, you see. I run a specialty stand, a catering business. Mr. BROYHILL. You run what? Mr. MUIR. A specialty stand. Mr. BROYHILL. Specialty? Mr. MUIR. I specialize in cheeses, which are not obtainable every where. Mr. BROYHILL. But it actually wasn't produce that the farmers in the area produced at all? Mr. MUIR. Well, in some instances it was, yes. Eggs, for instance, I used to buy, but now I don't. My main business is cheese. Actually no one has yet stated what we really are. We call ourselves merchants and farmers, but actually we are really caterers. We don't just buy and sell. We buy selected merchandise, which other places do not handle. We actually cater to people, to their very needs. We are just what you would call specialized caterers. That is what we really are, more than merchants and farmers. The farmers themselves, they raise the produce which people want, you see, and need. So they are caterers. They cater to the needs. I have always contended we are actually caterers to the public. Mr. BROYHILL. Thank you. Mr. SISK. Thank you, very much, Mr. Muir, for you statement. Mr. SISK. Mr. Cannon, does that conclude your presentation for the Western Market Merchants & Farmers Association? Mr. PERRY CANNON. Yes, sir. If I may ask the privilege, Mr. Chairman, to have the farmers stand up, to let you know the number of farmers who have come here, some 125 miles this morning to be present here. May they just stand up? Mr. SISK. Yes; we will be happy to have those farmers who are represented here to stand, if you will, to give us an idea of your interest. Thank you very much for your interest in coming in here this morning. Thank you, Mr. Cannon, for a very fine presentation by your group. Mr. PERRY CANNON. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Sisk. And certainly your interest will be duly noted. We have the next group, the Georgetown Citizens Association, Capt. Peter Belin, president. STATEMENT OF MARY FAITH WILSON, CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS OF THE CITY OF GEORGETOWN Miss WILSON. I am Mary Faith Wilson, chairman of the Committee of Public Relations of the City of Georgetown. Captain Belin, president of the association, and Miss de Schweinitz, chairman of the committee, had a very unfortunate conflicting engagement. They had a longstanding date to testify this morning before Commissioner |